Rethinking education for a changing world

That was the question at the heart of Mike Lambert, Global Education Director of the Inspired Education Group, at the FT Weekend Festival in London, where he shared his vision for a different approach to learning.

With Inspired Edge Academy set to open in Olympia, London, in September 2027, Mike challenges the idea of schools being largely designed around standardisation.

“If the world has changed, then why hasn’t the education system?”

Watch Mike Lambert share his vision for Inspired Edge Academy at the FT Weekend Festival and his vision for the future of education.

For Mike, rethinking education means creating more room for learning to respond to the individual child. Technology has a role to play, with adaptive learning platforms supporting short, targeted daily sessions in English, mathematics and science. Pupils can focus on specific areas where they need support, while those ready to move ahead can progress beyond the expected level.

But technology is only one part of the picture.

Inspired Edge Academy aims to give pupils more opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving, creativity and real-world experiences. In other words, technology can take care of some of the repetition, leaving more time for the distinctly human parts of education.

“We’re not aiming to make education more technological; we’re actually aiming to make it more human and social.”

It is a vision that asks a bigger question about what school should prepare children for. Not simply how to pass the next test, but how to think, adapt and engage with a world that will continue to change.